Casper, WY – For the first time this season, the Indian Hills Men's Basketball team will take the floor as the No. 1 team in the nation as the Warriors head to the Vista Auto Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Casper College (WY) for a pair of games this weekend.
DETAILS: 2022 Thanksgiving Classic
#1 Indian Hills vs. Casper | Friday, November 25 | 8:00 PM CT
#1 Indian Hills vs. Western Wyoming | Saturday, November 26 | 3:00 PM CT
WATCH LIVE: GoHillsTV
The Warriors make their longest road trip of the season for the Vista Auto Thanksgiving Classic in the Cowboy State as the No. 1 team in the nation will match up with two NJCAA Region IX North Teams in Casper and Western Wyoming.
ABOUT THE VISTA AUTO THANKSGIVING CLASSIC
The four-team Vista Auto Thanksgiving Classic features the top-ranked Warriors, Casper (6-2), Western Wyoming (6-3), and Lake Region State College (ND) (2-6). All contests will be played at the Swede Erickson Thunderbird Gym.
Western Wyoming and Lake Region State open up play at 4:00 PM CT Friday followed by the Warriors and Thunderbirds at 8:00 PM CT. Saturday's schedule pairs the Warriors and Western Wyoming at 3:00 PM CT followed by Casper and Lake Region State at 7:00 PM CT.
WARRIOR NOTES
The Warriors head to Casper as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation following the team's 3-0 week last week, a stretch that included a win over the previous No. 1 team in the national polls in Northwest Florida State College.
- Indian Hills has held its nine opponents to just 35.4 percent from the floor this year, the seventh-best mark in the nation. The Warriors have ranked in the top-five in the nation in the category in each of the last three seasons.
- The Warriors have defeated seven opponents this year by double-digits, including five games decided by 19 points or more.
- Indian Hills enters the weekend with six individuals shooting 50.0 percent or better from the floor and five players shooting 40.0 percent or better from three-point range.
WARRIORS TO WATCH
- Sophomore Truth Harris was tapped as this week's ICCAC DI Men's Basketball Player of the Week after leading the Warriors to the three wins last week.
- Sophomore Eddiean Tirado is just four three-point shots away from 100 career makes beyond the arc.
- Freshman Trevion LaBeaux has been a consistent presence for the Warriors, starting the last eight contests. LaBeaux averaged 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds during the Warriors' three-game stretch last week.
SCOUTING THE THUNDERBIRDS
The Warriors last matched up with Casper on November 18, 2021 in Ottumwa where Indian Hills took an 83-67 win.
- The Thunderbirds have lost just two games this season with both coming against current top-five teams in the nation. Casper suffered a 97-74 loss to current No. 2 Salt Lake Community College on Nov. 4 and a 105-75 loss to the College of Southern Idaho, now ranked No. 5, on Nov. 11.
- Four different individuals are averaging double-figures for the Thunderbirds, led by sophomore Kenard Richardson's 17.1 points per game.
- The Thunderbirds live and die by the three as the team ranks sixth in the nation with 31.8 three-point shot attempts per game. Casper has shot at least 24 three-point shots in each of the team's eight games this year.
- Jamison Epps is the top rebounder for the Thunderbirds, pulling in 10.5 rebounds per contest, including three on the offensive end while starting all eight games on the year.
- Casper is averaging 90.1 points per game while allowing just 76.9 points per contest.
83-67 win November 18, 2021 in Ottumwa
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
Western Wyoming is just three years removed from earning a berth at the NJCAA National Tournament after qualifying during the COVID-2020 season. The Mustangs have posted a 77-17 record since the 2019-20 campaign.
- The Mustangs opened up the year winning four of five contests, but have lost two of their last four, including a loss to undefeated Arizona Western.
- Two of the team's three losses this year have come by just two points.
- Western Wyoming ranks 20th in the nation in free throw attempts per game, getting to the line more than 26 times per game.
- A consistent scoring threat features four players averaging between 10.4 and 10.9 points per game, led by freshman Tyson Hawkins.
- Western Wyoming is averaging 10.0 rebounds per game more than their opponent, led by Eddie McPHee's 6.1 boards per contest.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Warriors are set to return home and will close out the first half of the season with four straight games at the Hellyer Center. First up is a 7:00 PM matchup on Dec. 2 vs. Sauk Valley Community College followed by a 3:00 PM matchup on Dec. 3 vs. Kankakee Community College.
As always, GoHillsTV provides free live broadcasts of Indian Hills sporting events, both home and on the road. Fans can tune in a number of ways to this weekend's matchup:
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